On My Way Home

My house is located less than one block from Kensington Ave. In fact, my "backyard" is the back of buildings that line Kensington Ave. So, in order for me to get to my house, 9 times out of 10 I have to drive down Kensington Ave.

This means that almost every night as I drive home I have to pass the adult video store with the neon arrow pointing to the front door. Along the way I watch as a cars pull over to the side of the road and young women get in those cars. I'm not exaggerating. I see it all the time. I pass police patting people down and men pushing shopping carts that hold their entire lives. I see cars dropping women off on the side of the road, looking vacant and numb. Every night as I drive home.

After I turn off of Kensington, I have to circle around McPherson Square Park. Its more commonly known name is "Needle Park". As I drive around I pass kids playing football while the guy sitting on the park bench behind them falls asleep in a drunken stupor. I see dogs being walked, and needles being tossed. Trust me when I tell you that the park lives up to its name.

Once I make my way around the park, I get out of my car and walk toward my house. To get there I must pass through an empty lot full of trash. I pass guys standing on the corner waiting for their customers. Kids play in the street, shouting curse words at one another as if they learned them from Dora the Explorer.

I open my door, say good bye to my neighbors (all of whom said hello to me as I walked by) and close it again. The sounds of the street; loud music, yelling, cursing, kids crying and dogs barking, can not be avoided and often fill the rooms of my house. Still, in my home I find peace and sanctuary. I thank God for it because I am desperate for it.

This scene plays out in my life day in and day out. And that's just my trip home. My days are filled with hurting kids, hurting teens, and angry adults.

No president can change my neighborhood, only Christ can. I honestly don't know how people can survive in this place without Christ. I have Him and sometimes I'm just barely hanging on.